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Relevance of Chemical Kinetics for Medicine: The Case of Nitric Oxide
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Abstract
Nitric oxide, NO, is central to many physiological processes including regulation of blood pressure and nerve signal transmission. Enzymes in endothelial cells and in the brain of mammals continuously synthesize it—generally in low and carefully regulated concentrations. The well–known reaction of NO with oxygen to produce toxic nitrogen dioxide, NO2, has a rate which is bimolecular in NO. High concentrations of NO, as are found often in industrial plants or cigarettes, react rapidly with oxygen to produce toxic NO2. However, the half-life of NO at low NO concentrations as found in solutions and gases occurring in blood vessels, brains, and lungs is sufficiently long for biochemical purposes. Kinetics, then, determines the harmful versus helpful aspects of nitric oxide. At concentrations below 80 ppm NO is used in hospitals for lung vasodilation of preterm newborns and patients with pulmonary distress.
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This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).
Medicinal Chemistry - An Introduction; Fundamentals of Medicinal Chemistry (Gareth Thomas)
Eugene GoochJournal of Chemical Education2004 81 (9), 1271Medicinal Chemistry - An Introduction; Fundamentals of Medicinal Chemistry (Gareth Thomas)
Eugene GoochJournal of Chemical Education2004 81 (9), 1271To cover the need for both a "user-friendly" and a more rigorous text, Thomas has written two books designed for a single semester course: Medicinal Chemistry—An Introduction and Fundamentals of Medicinal Chemistry.
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- Received: August 03, 2009
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